1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ice making device and a refrigerator having the same, and more particularly, to an ice making device that is capable of easily and conveniently making and separating ice and a refrigerator having the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A refrigerator is an electric home appliance that freezes or refrigerates food to store the food in a fresh state for a long period of time. The refrigerator includes a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment. In the freezing compartment is mounted an ice making device for making ice.
FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a conventional refrigerator, and FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating an ice making device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 9.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator body 10 having a freezing compartment 11 and a refrigerating compartment 13 defined therein such that the freezing compartment 11 is located at the left side of the refrigerator body 10, and the refrigerating compartment 13 is located at the right side of the refrigerator body 10. To the refrigerator body 10 are mounted a freezing compartment door 11a and a refrigerating compartment door 13a for selectively opening and closing the freezing compartment 11 and the refrigerating compartment 13.
Specifically, the freezing compartment door 11a and the refrigerating compartment door 13a are mounted to opposite sides of the refrigerator body 10, respectively, such that the freezing compartment door 11a and the refrigerating compartment door 13a are hingedly rotated in the forward and backward direction of the refrigerator body 10.
At one side of the freezing compartment 11 is mounted an ice making device 19. The ice making device 19 is a device that makes ice. Specifically, the ice making device 19 is mounted in the freezing compartment 11 such that the ice making device 19 can be inserted into and withdrawn from the freezing compartment 11. As shown in FIG. 10, the ice making device 19 includes a support frame 21 and a pair of ice trays 23.
The support tray 21 serves to rotatably support the ice trays 23. To this end, the support frame 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame. The ice trays 23 are mounted in the support tray 21 such that the ice trays 23 can be individually rotated.
At each ice tray 23 are formed a plurality of ice making grooves 23a. To the centers of the front and rear of each ice tray 23 are mounted rotary shafts 24, respectively. The ice trays 23 are rotated about the rotary shafts 24 in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction when viewed on the drawing of FIG. 9. To this end, the rotary shafts 24 are rotatably fitted in the rear of the support frame 21.
Referring to FIG. 10, stoppers 25 are formed at the inner side of the support frame 21, corresponding to the left sides of the respective rotary shafts 24 mounted at the rear ends of the ice trays 23, such that the stoppers 25 protrude inward.
Each stopper 25 supports the corresponding ice tray 23 such that the ice tray 23 is horizontally maintained while the lower end of the ice tray 23 is located at the top of the stopper 25. Also, each stopper 25 serves to twist the front end of the corresponding ice tray 23 with respect to the rear end of the ice tray 23 when the ice tray 23 is rotated about the corresponding rotary shaft 24.
At the front of the support frame 21, corresponding to the front of the ice trays 23 are mounted manipulation levers 26, which protrude forward. The manipulation levers 26 are gripped by hands of a user such that the user rotates the ice trays 23.
The manipulation levers 26 correspond to the ice trays 23, and therefore, the manipulation levers 26 are provided in a pair. Each manipulation lever 26 is connected to the rotary shaft 24 mounted to the front of the corresponding ice tray 23. Consequently, when the user rotates the manipulation levers 26, the rotary shafts 24 are rotated. As a result, the ice trays 23 are rotated by a predetermined angle, and then the rear ends of the ice trays 23 are brought into contact with the corresponding stoppers 25, whereby the front ends of the ice trays 23 are twisted with respect to the rear ends of the ice trays 23.
Referring back to FIG. 9, on the other hand, an ice bank 27 is mounted below the ice making device in the freezing compartment 11. The ice bank 27 serves to store ice made by the ice making device 19. Specifically, the ice bank 27 is mounted in the freezing compartment 11 such that the ice bank 27 can be inserted into and withdrawn from the freezing compartment 11.
However, the ice making device of the conventional refrigerator with the above-stated construction has the following problem.
It is required that the ice trays 23 be rotated through the rotation of the manipulation levers 26 in order to separate ice in the ice making grooves 23a from the ice trays 23. To this end, a user must twist his/her wrists while holding the manipulation levers 26 by hand, with the result that the wrists of the user may be injured.